


Fotografías

by AlexMonopolyGirl



Series: Deanoru Life [10]
Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Surprise Guests - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 14:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17869370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexMonopolyGirl/pseuds/AlexMonopolyGirl
Summary: Time flies...and all we've got are memories and pictures to remember...





	Fotografías

**Author's Note:**

> OKay, folks!! This is the first big Time-Skip of the series!! It's set 2 YEARS after Part 9. The Runaways are 19-20 and Molly is 17. Old Lace is still amazing as always. lol 
> 
> By the way, I promised @karrienico that I would try to include some Nico and Chase being siblings and I really hope the scene is good enough. (admittedly, I'm not used to writing their dynamic even though I love it).... I'm still working on it. lol

**Disclaimer:: I don’t own Marvel’s Runaways nor the characters. I’m just playing around for a bit. I’ll put them back, I swear! If I get sued, the only thing they can take from me is my phone. Just saying.**

 

*********************************************************

 

It was late in the evening and Nico was still up, reading one of her Wicca books and nursing a mug with lavender tea and honey, a favorite beverage of hers (other than that espresso strong enough to kill a bull she drank in the mornings) by the kitchen table, comfortably dressed in her silk nightgown. The others had gone to bed already and Karolina wasn’t home yet, a late call had kept her late at work and Nico couldn’t sleep, both because her beloved wasn’t home and because she was still a bit keyed up after training earlier that day. She had gotten her ass kicked, quite literally. Sure, Nico was a much more experienced sorcerer after two years under Doctor Strange’s tutelage and had improved immensely in every way but as her mentor kept reminding her, she still had a long way to go and sometimes, getting her ass kicked repeatedly during training was the only way to learn. At least during training she wasn’t in real danger of dying…well, most times.

 

Still, Nico knew that just because she had gotten defeated during training that day, it didn’t mean she hadn’t progressed. She truly had. Her mentor was incredibly proud of her and most important, she was proud of herself for her hard work and determination. She was more experienced, confident, stronger (both emotionally and physically) and powerful than she would have been otherwise. Physically, she looked pretty much the same, except she had hit her final growth spur and had gained a couple of inches, which made her as tall as Gert. Her friends were still convinced she had casted a spell of some sort to make that happen, no matter how many times Nico denied it, much to her annoyance. All her training had made her physically stronger too. She wasn’t muscular like Karolina or Molly, her body was lean and lithe like a ballerina, which allowed her to move and fight with almost perfect precision while she was using her magic, jumping in and out of portals like her mentor had taught her.

 

Not much had changed in the past two years at the Runaways home, even though they were all growing up and maturing into young adults and they had definitely changed to some degree. Gert and Chase (still going strong in their relationship) were still in college. Chase had spent the last two summers doing internships with Tony Stark in NYC. Gert had spent one summer in _Oakland_ , California, working at an international outreach center and then the next summer she had headed to the East Coast as well but no one knew exactly what she was doing, not even Chase. All Gert had revealed was that she volunteered at Aunt May’s homeless shelter and they all had learnt to stop asking questions, even Chase. As long as Gert was happy and wasn’t involved in anything dangerous, they collectively decided to drop the subject. Nevertheless, they were proud and happy for her and once the summer was over, the couple returned to the West Coast for the new school year.

 

Alex was still in college too, living his best life. He was thriving, doing some freelance work, hanging out with the D&D group he was part of and spending time with Bruce when he was in the West Coast. Last summer, though, he had spent time at the Nexus in Oslo, thanks to Tony. Everyone knew he was dating a girl, even though he refused to introduce her to the family yet due to his (and Molly’s) stupid rule.

 

And Molly, sweet precious Molly, had truly bloomed into a tall, muscular, bad-ass, confident young woman. Well, more than she already was before. She was an A student, star of the soccer team and the pride and joy of her entire family’s eyes. Everyone was extremely proud of her, both her Runaways family and their extended Avengers family. Molly was still in her senior year and was still undecided on what she wanted to do afterwards. For a moment she had considered enlisting in the Army, follow in Steve’s steps or even Carol’s, but not-so-surprisingly both Captains themselves had talked her out of it. So Molly wasn’t in any hurry to decide although she was looking for a part-time job to gain some experience. Everyone had offered their help but Molly, much to their pride, was determined to do it by herself.

 

The sound of the key in the lock drew Nico’s attention and she looked up from her book. A uniform clad Karolina entered through the kitchen door, bag slung over her shoulder, looking tired after a long day of work but still smiling and unfairly gorgeous. Karolina, her ever-sweet ever-gentle Karolina, had matured into a 5’8’’ confident _Amazon_ rookie EMT who had started to work with the LAFD two months prior. She had worked incredibly hard to earn her certifications, spending many nights studying, receiving extra physical training (on top of her regular training) with Carol and even Sam when they were in town and putting in as many hours of practical training as she could. Nobody was surprised when Karolina graduated top of her class and everyone was highly proud of her achievements. But most important, Karolina was proud of herself. She had found her purpose, her calling, and it had been her decision. She was doing good work, she was helping people, and it made her happy, even if some days were extremely tough and taxing. It wasn’t an easy job, by any means. But as Nico had predicted, Karolina had poured her whole heart into it and she was thriving.

 

“Hey,” the blonde’s voice sounded huskier than usual, her tiredness bleeding through. It really had been a long rough day. "What are you doing still up?” Karolina locked the door and pocketed her keys once again, shooting her girlfriend a tired smile.

 

“I got in late and I’m still too keyed up so couldn’t sleep,” Nico replied as she closed her book and stood up to greet the taller girl.

 

Karolina dumped her bag on one of the chairs and gladly received her girlfriend in her arms, wrapping her longer limbs around the raven-haired Wiccan’s waist and bringing their lips together, both young women smiling into the long languid kiss. Nico stood on her tip-toes and brought up her hands to cup her girlfriend’s head to keep her as close as possible.

 

“I bet you missed me today, didn’t you?” Karolina looked far too smug for Nico’s taste when they slowly separated.

 

“Goddess, when did you get so fuckin’ cocky?” Nico rolled her eyes at her girlfriend, not really annoyed nor bothered by it, and lowered her hands so they rested on the taller girl’s shoulders.

 

“When I realized just how much you loved me in uniform. Also, when you miss me, your greeting kisses always blow my mind,” Karolina answered teasingly, pulling her closer when Nico attempted to pull away with a huff, faux-annoyed.

 

“Smug bitch,” Nico huffed again, her eyes filled with mirth by their typical banter.

 

“You love me,” Karolina chuckled and stole one more kiss before letting go of her girlfriend to lean her butt against the edge of the table and steal a sip from her girlfriend’s mug.

 

“Did you eat at the station?” Nico asked, giving her a questioning look. Sometimes, if the calls were too close together or were too long, Karolina and her co-workers simply didn’t have time to eat so the Runaways family always made sure to save some extra food just in case.

 

“I did, don’t worry, baby,” the blonde nodded and took another sip from the mug before returning it to its owner. “Did you eat?”

 

“Yeah, I did. How was work today?” Nico asked and cradled the still warm mug in her hands.

 

“Long, rough.” Karolina reached up and undid the tight bun she kept her hair in during work, shaking her head in relief as it fell free over her shoulders. “Had several calls early into shift, had to clean the gear, all of it, and had to cook lunch for the entire crew. And of course we had a big last minute call too hence why I’m home so late,” she summarized quickly.

 

“Cleaned all the gear by yourself?” Nico asked, grimacing in sympathy.

 

“With Vic, the other rookie, but yeah.”

 

“Ah, the joys of rookie life, huh?” Nico chuckled around the rim of her mug.

 

“Yup, the joys of rookie life,” Karolina nodded, smiling tiredly. “Good news, though, I’m off-call this weekend.”

 

“Yes!” Nico did a little fist pump in celebration. “So glad you’re off-call, babe. The Doc’s oddly excited to have dinner with us this weekend.”

 

“I’m all yours unless there’s an extreme national emergency,” Karolina’s smile turned into a wide grin, excited by the idea of having dinner with Stephen and Nico, and getting to spend the whole weekend with her favorite girl in New York.

 

“Mmm… All mine?” Nico shot her a sly look and left the mug back on the table as she stepped closer to place her hands on the blonde’s hips, her fingers squeezing her playfully. “Tempting, tempting…maybe we should skip dinner with the Doc and just hole up in a hotel room,” she added suggestively.

 

A giggle escaped through Karolina’s lips at her girlfriend flirty demeanor.

 

“Nope. We’re having dinner with Stephen and enjoy the rest of the weekend in NYC,” she told her, refusing her with a smile. “As much as I’d like that –and trust me, I really, really want that,” a fiery look crossed her face when she said that. They both had been awfully busy the last while. “You promised me a fun weekend in New York, baby, you promised fun and sightseeing. Doesn’t mean we can’t have extra fun when we get back to our room, though,” she added with a little smirk.

 

“All right, all right,” the goth huffed playfully, pulling a face that made her girlfriend giggle. “We’re gonna have lots of fun this weekend. Except for dinner with the Doc, I’m glad I get you all to myself.”

 

“Me too, baby. We really need this time all alone as a couple, we’ve been so busy lately,” Karolina groaned miserably, only half-joking.

 

“Tell me about it,” Nico muttered and leaned closer to her girlfriend. All banter and joking aside, she had actually missed her. They hadn’t spent much time together as a couple lately except for before bedtime and that was when Karolina wasn’t working the night shift.

 

“How was training today? Stephen gave you a hard time?” Karolina brought up her hands to rub the shorter girl’s shoulders comfortingly.

 

“Still weird that you call him Stephen, babe,” Nico chuckled. “But yeah, today training kicked my ass. Like, literally got my ass kicked by the Yetis…again.”

 

“The Yetis again? Oh Nico…” Karolina gave her a sympathetic look and pulled her closer, massaging her shoulders and upper back comfortingly.

 

“I’m so gonna kick their asses someday,” Nico vowed solemnly and completely serious.

 

“Aren’t they good guys? Aren’t they just sparring matches ‘cause the Yetis are immune to most spells?” The blonde reminded her gently.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But still, I’m gonna kick their asses one day,” Nico knew she was acting a bit childish about it but damn it, every time she sparred with the Yetis they kicked her ass, much to their amusement.

 

“Stupid Yetis, how dare they kick that sexy ass of yours?” Karolina joked accusingly and the goth shot her a look that said _‘I know, right?!’_ and an eye-roll. A yawn escaped her before she could contain it and the blonde pulled a face. “Sorry.”

 

“Go get some rest, Karrie,” Nico smiled and stepped back so her girlfriend could move.

 

“Aren’t you coming to bed?” Karolina grabbed her bag from the chair and shot her girlfriend a raised eyebrow. “It’s kinda late, Nico.”

 

“In a bit I promise, wanna read some more,” Nico replied as she returned to her seat.

 

“Okay.”

 

Karolina leaned to steal a quick kiss from her girlfriend and headed upstairs, her heavy duty work boots and bag feeling heavier with each step she took. It really had been a long busy day, her hair still smelled of smoke and she needed another shower desperately.

 

Karolina dumped her dirty clothes in the hamper before heading to the bathroom. The shower felt heavenly and she was barely awake by the time she got out and changed for bed. By the time Nico reached the bedroom, Karolina was sprawled on their bed softly snoring in the most adorable way, half covered by the covers which she had kicked off in her sleep, it seemed.

 

A tender little smile spread across her lips and Nico shook her head fondly as she got under the covers, pulling them over her girlfriend as well. Karolina instantly shifted in her sleep and threw an arm around her waist, snuggling closer. Nico sighed contently and snuggled as close as possible to her beloved, sleep claiming her soon once she was cocooned in the familiar warmth.

 

*********************************************************

 

“Hey, are you busy?”

 

Molly leaned against the doorway of the living room, smiling tentatively, hands tucked in the front pockets of her shorts. Karolina sat up on the couch and muted the TV.

 

“Not at all. What’s up, Molly?”

 

“Got ice cream with our names on it. Wanna sit on the deck and eat it?” Molly suggested.

 

“That sounds great, actually!” Karolina turned off the TV and stood up from the couch.

 

Molly did a little whoop of celebration and skipped to the kitchen to get the ice cream she had stashed earlier and a couple of spoons.

 

“You go ahead,” the younger girl told her as she entered the kitchen right behind her.

 

Karolina nodded and headed right out to the deck, taking a seat on her large comfortable sturdy wooden chair. It was hers only because it was positioned right in the corner of the deck, where she got hit by the sun directly.

 

Molly joined her a minute later, depositing the two pints and spoons on the table with a flourish before taking her own seat across the table, in the cool shade.

 

“Oh yummy,” the blonde grinned when she opened her pint of ice cream (classic strawberry was one of her favorites) and dipped her spoon, a wide smile spreading across her face when the creamy goodness hit her tongue. The blonde observed her friend for a moment. “So what’s up? Is there anything on your mind, sweetie?”

 

“No. Why’d you ask?” Molly feigned innocence and hoped her friend wouldn’t notice as she tucked into her cookie dough ice cream.

 

“You sure? You’ve got your _‘there’s something in my mind’_ look,” Karolina stated knowingly, shooting her an appointed look.

 

“Nope, I’m great. Just wanted to hang out with you since I barely saw you last week and you were gone with Nico the whole weekend,” Molly replied, maybe a little too quickly.

 

“Alright, alright,” Karolina backed off but she knew Molly would spill eventually. “I missed you too, by the way.”

 

Molly grinned around her spoonful of ice cream and lifted her feet to rest them on the opposite chair, slumping further into the comfortable cushions.

 

“So…how was your romantic getaway to NYC?” Molly asked with a teasing glint in her eyes, after several minutes.

 

“We had a great time,” Karolina replied, unable to hold back a content smile. “Central Park is so beautiful this time of the year, we took a lot of pictures.”

 

“What did you guys do?” Molly asked her, curious. “Oh c’mon, spill, sister!” She added when Karolina didn’t elaborate on her answer. The blonde laughed and nodded.

 

“Okay…We had a picnic in Central Park, took lots of pics. We had dinner with Stephen, had a lovely time, he took us to a nice restaurant in Little Italy. We visited Times Square at night. Ran into Peter and he scared the shit outta us both,” Karolina laughed, seeing the fun in the situation in hindsight.

 

“You saw Peter? Why did her scare you?” The younger girl giggled, amused and curious.

 

“We were walking back to the Sanctum and it was kinda late. We were alert, it’s not like we weren’t paying attention. But suddenly a voice says _‘you guys should be careful at night’_ and it came out of a dark alley! Peter got lucky Nico only pulled out her Staff and I didn’t blast the shit outta him!”

 

Molly barked out a laugh and nearly choked on the ice cream she was eating.

 

“The little shit even laughed before dropping down to the ground,” Karolina shook her head, chuckling. “We didn’t talk much ‘cause Peter was doing his nightly rounds and we had to head back to the Sanctum but seriously, for a second, we almost attacked Spiderman!” An eye-roll accompanied that comment while her friend kept laughing.

 

“How’s Peter anyway? Haven’t seen him in a while,” Molly asked, curious.

 

“He’s good, you know Peter, always juggling a thousand things at the same time,” the blonde answered after swallowing a spoonful of ice cream. “But he’s good.”

 

“Am glad. I’ll text him later. So what else did you do?”

 

Karolina’s eyebrow rose but she said nothing for a moment. Sure, Molly was always curious by nature but she usually didn’t pry much, specially into their dates and getaways (didn’t happen as often as they would have liked). She didn’t mind, it wasn’t upsetting, but it made her wonder what was on the young girl’s mind.

 

“We spent Sunday doing nothing but walk around. We visited the Rockefeller Center, walked around in Broadway Street, did some shopping. Then we spent some more time in Central Park… we returned to the Sanctum after having dinner and came back early this morning,” Karolina summarized, holding back a little smile and a little secret. On Sunday, Nico had teleported them to _San Juan Strait in Washington State_ , where the movie _Practical Magic_ (a favorite of Nico’s that had become a favorite of theirs) had been filmed. But that would remain their little secret…

 

“I thought you were staying at a hotel. Doctor Strange really let you guys stay at the Sanctum?” Molly was infinitely curious about the mysterious Sanctum she had only visited once. It wasn’t often they were allowed to visit the sacred place of the order Nico was part of.

 

“Yeah, he said it was okay.” Karolina discreetly looked away because the first thing that popped into her head was them making love for hours in the guest room Nico sometimes used. The room had been beautiful decorated, much to both of their tastes ( _thank you magic!_ ) and they had such an amazing stay in the sacred Sanctum.

 

“Glad you guys had a great time, Karo,” Molly finally commented, smiling almost wishfully.

 

The older girl almost commented on the look but she decided to keep quiet. Molly would say something when she was ready and it wouldn’t be a good idea to push her.

 

“Thanks, sweetie,” Karolina told her instead and shot her a little smile. “I needed that mini break with Nico, ya know?” She added as she rearranged herself on the chair until she was slumped further into the cushions and her long legs were supported by the top railing.

 

“Work kickin’ your ass lately?”

 

“Yeah, you can say that,” Karolina let out a little laugh and pulled an exaggerated grimace. “And this week, I’m on nights,” she added jokingly. Night shifts were either the worst or extremely dull and boring, there was just no in-between and Karolina hated not sleeping at home…but getting as much sleep as she could on that uncomfortable bed at the station was still part of the job.

 

“Oh, that sucks, dude,” Molly groaned in sympathy.

 

“How’s job hunting going for ya?” Karolina asked her, finishing the last of her ice cream.

 

“With a little luck, I’ll get a call back this week. Had an interview with Anna at your old job and she seemed pretty interested,” Molly visibly crossed her fingers and Karolina knocked on the wooden table twice, smiling at her from across the table.

 

“I can put in a phone call, if you want,” Karolina offered kindly. She still had a good friendship with her former boss, bookstore owner and self-proclaimed  Anna  _DykeMomma_ Summers. Karolina certainly had learnt a lot from her during the time she worked there.

 

“Nah. I really wanna do this by myself, ya know? It’s mostly a coincidence that I ended having an interview with Anna but I really liked the idea of working at the bookstore,” Molly smiled and shrugged.

 

“Okay, okay, good luck, sweetie,” Karolina smiled encouragingly. “And how’s school? Graduation’s getting closer.”

 

“It’s going good… Can’t wait to be done, if I’m honest,” Molly admitted. Sure, high school was fun sometimes and there were things she definitely liked, like the soccer team and parties. But she couldn’t wait to be done with it either. Truth be told, even as social as she was, she found it hard to relate to other kids of her same age. She found them so terribly…stupid and self-centered even in the best of cases. They always thought every single little thing was the be-all or end-all… Molly was still Molly though and she got along with pretty much everyone and made sure to treat everyone with kindness. But yeah, she just wanted to be done with it.

 

“Aren’t you at least looking forwards to prom? Dress up, have fun with your friends?” Karolina sighed, a wistful look flashing across her eyes. That is the one high-school thing she would have loved to do: go to prom with Nico and dance all night. But she pushed that thought away, dwelling on what happened or didn’t happen in the past wouldn’t help her nor bring anything good to her life.

 

It was then Karolina noticed the face-splitting smile Molly was trying to contain.

 

“So we _are_ looking forwards to prom, huh?” A teasing little smile accompanied the statement. “Is there a particular reason why?”

 

“…Mayhaps,” Molly finally answered, not quite meeting her friend’s eyes.

 

“Does this _mayhaps_ happen to be person-shaped? And is related to what you wanna talk about?” Karolina gave her a raised eyebrow. “And don’t try to bullshit me, sweetie,” she added as a gentle warning.

 

Molly sighed, nodded and threw her hands in the air just to be dramatic, getting a snort from her friend who knew her too damn well.

 

“Fine! Damn it, how’d you do that, Karo?”

 

“I know you and I love you so I pay attention, sweetheart,” Karolina replied easily, shooting her a sisterly look and smile.

 

“Okay, Mooooom,” Molly huffed, shooting a faux-annoyed look her friend’s way. Truth be told, she loved her _Lesbian Mom Karolina_.

 

“So…” Karolina’s eyebrow was raised once again, her eyes clearly asking her a question. “What’s her name? Where did you meet her?”

 

“School and her name’s Emily,” Molly finally replied, barely containing her giddiness. “And your girl scored a date!” She exclaimed, laughing.

 

“Who asked who out first?” Karolina asked her, curious.

 

“I asked her. We spent like two hours at Starbucks talkin’ and flirtin’ so I just went for it. Told her I wanted to see her again but I meant it as a date and she said yes!” Molly couldn’t hold back her grin anymore and a wide smile nearly split her face. It was both happy and slightly smug and Karolina noticed it instantly.

 

“Holy shit, I wish I had half of your game and confidence, Molls,” Karolina commented out loud, impressed by the younger girl’s prowess, and let out a laugh.

 

“Oh, please! I’ve seen you reduce Nico Minoru to a bumbling mess, Karo,” Molly snorted, rolling her eyes at her friend. She’d seen Karolina at work and Nico’s reactions.

 

“Don’t forget I’ve been dating Nico for nearly 3 years, Molls. Totally different contexts,” Karolina argued with a shrug.

 

“True,” the younger girl conceded with a nod.

 

“So when is the big day?” The blonde asked, a teasing smile playing upon her lips.

 

“This Saturday…” Molly looked away, bashful, for a moment but then looked back at her friend. “I don’t really have an idea what to do, though… Help?”

 

“Santa Monica pier,” Karolina replied instantly without any hesitation. “Good place to spend the day. You can have fun at the games, eat something, and visit the aquarium. It’s romantic enough but pretty chill,” she added with a grin when the younger girl shot her an inquiring look.

 

Molly nodded, considering the idea in her mind for a moment before a smile spread across her lips once again.

 

“I like that idea. Like, it’s definitely a date but without too much pressure, right?” She thought out loud. The more she thought about it, the more she liked it.

 

“Exactly!” Karolina grinned in return. “The aquarium is much more romantic than you may think, by the way,” she added with a fond smile, her mind flashing to a particular sweet date when Nico took her to the aquarium. “Also, I demand at least one cute selfie.”

 

“You got it!” Molly shot her a wink and a thumb up, making them both laugh.

 

“How are you feeling about this date? Nervous? Anxious? Excited?” Karolina asked, turning half-serious.

 

“All of the above?” Molly let out a little laugh at that. “Excited and happy, for sure. But I am a little nervous too. I really like her,” she replied, ignoring the nerves in her gut for the time being. “But ya know, that’s normal, right?”

 

“Totally normal, sweetie,” Karolina reassured her calmly. “But just be yourself and you’ll be okay, Molls.”

 

Molly nodded and smiled at her.

 

“Thanks, Karo.”

 

“For what?” Karolina asked, confused.

 

“For listening, being cool and not making a big deal out of this?” Molly let out a slightly annoyed and resigned sigh. “You know how the others act… Chase gets kinda overprotective, Gert and Nico make a big deal out of it every time I even try to date. And I get it, I’m the baby sister of the family, they mean well, they just want me to be safe and I love them so much…But it’s pretty annoying. I’m not a little girl, haven’t been for a long time,” she added, half-mumbling the words.

 

Karolina bit her lip and simply nodded because she understood the girl’s point. They all were protective of Molly, she was their baby sister, but the others could be a bit overprotective sometimes and of course that annoyed her. Molly had every reason to get annoyed. Specially because she wasn’t reckless at all when it came to dating and meeting new people in general, not anymore. There were certain security measures they all applied to, certain aspects of their lives that they didn’t reveal to classmates or coworkers, for their safety. Their lives weren’t normal: they were close with some of the most powerful people in the world, they were powered themselves, they were the children of the PRIDE…they had a dinosaur in the family for fuck’s sake! They had to be careful what they revealed to the public. But Alex and Molly were specially careful, since they were the two single ones of the group.

 

“But you never act like that and I totally love you for that, dude,” Molly continued, reaching out across the table with her hand. The blonde’s hand met her half way and held her hand, giving her a gentle squeeze.

 

“I love you too, sweetheart. You just go have fun and do your thing, okay?” Karolina told her, determined. She’d deal with her girlfriend and friends later.

 

Molly smiled and nodded, squeezing her friend’s hand in thanks.

 

 

*********************************************************

 

 

Visiting a prison is never easy, the process for visitors wasn’t comfortable at all and that was in a regular facility. The process at the San Bernardino Special Cases Facility was right down invasive, specially for first timers. Since Chase went once a month and had passed the initial tests, he only had to put up with being patted down twice (as if that wasn’t uncomfortable enough) and walk through the three different scanners to enter the visitors’ center.

 

The room was fairly empty that day, only a couple of people were visiting inmates that day so Chase got a seat in the opposite corner of the room for maximum privacy…well, as much privacy as one could get in a maximum security prison.

 

It wasn’t long before Janet was escorted into the center by a guard and Chase automatically stood up to envelope his mother into a hug. The guard moved to stand by the door, only clearing her throat once in warning when the hug went on for a little too long so Chase stepped away ruefully.

 

“I missed you, mom,” the young man told her and held his mother’s hands as they moved to sit on the cool metal benches.

 

“I missed you too, honey,” Janet smiled and her hands squeezed his, needing the contact with her son at least for a little bit longer.

 

“How are you, mom?” He asked her as it was routine by now. It seemed they always had the same conversation whenever he visited, but it didn’t matter because it made them both happy.

 

“I’m alright, honey. Same old, same old,” Janet was smiling but inside she was flooded by the same happiness and sadness she felt every time her son visited. “But don’t worry about me, I wanna hear about you.”

 

“You say that every time, mom. I care about how you’re doing in here, you know?” Chase insisted gently because usually his mother didn’t like talking about prison life.

 

“I am fine, honey. As fine as one can be in here. We’re allowed certain privileges for good behavior so I’m working in the library and reading a lot these days. Stacey and I started knitting too,” Janet summarized quickly. It wasn’t like her days were very exciting.

 

“And how are you getting along with the other parents?” Chase asked, fully aware of the fact they all didn’t get along. The year prior Tina and Leslie had gotten a week in solitary for fighting. His mother had refused to tell him why or who won, though and it was not fun to inform Karolina and Nico of that event.

 

“I’m getting along just fine with Stacey and Dale, as…strange as that may sound. They’re the ones I interact with the most these days. I only ever talk to Leslie when she picks up or returns library books and the others…well, they pretty much keep to themselves,” Janet explained and honestly felt like it was an understatement. The Minoru and Wilders kept to themselves most of the time, as did Leslie. Truth be told, no one really interacted with Leslie unless it was absolutely necessary.

 

“At least you get along with Stacey and Dale, right?” Chase tried to see the positive and he would be lying if he said it didn’t please him to know his mother got along with the Yorkes.

 

“Yeah. It’s…strange and probably it’s because we’re stuck in here together but we actually get along,” Janet chuckled softly. “But enough about me… How are you? How are the other kids?”

 

“Everyone’s great, we’re well, living our best lives, to be honest…” Chase didn’t want to hurt his mom with words but it was the truth and he couldn’t deny or downplay that.

 

“Oh, sweetheart, trust me, I’m glad to hear that. I’m happy that you and the others are doing great. That’s all I want for you, to be happy,” Janet told him sincerely. “And I want to hear about how you’re all doing, you know they will ask.” One of the few times all the parents actually interacted was after Chase’s visits because they knew he updated her on everyone’s well-being. “But start with you. How are you? How’s school?”

 

“I’m good, mom. And school is good too! Some subjects are tough but I’m getting good grades and I have the right support when I need it,” Chase replied with a smile. The young man felt truly proud of himself (probably for the first time in his life) for his hard work and grades. He didn’t take for granted the help that Tony and even Alex and Gert gave him sometimes, though. Chase had really applied himself and with the right support his grades had never been better. “My summer internship in NYC was great! I learnt so much, mom! It was awesome!”

 

“I’m so happy to hear that, honey. You…have become an amazing young man and I am so proud of you, Chase,” Janet got a little choked up with emotions and her son squeezed her hands to comfort her. “I love you, Chase.”

 

“I love you too, mom,” Chase sniffed, refusing to cry in front of his mom (again). There would be time to cry later, once he was home.

 

“So how are you and Gert? Still going strong?” Janet changed the subject because otherwise they both would end up crying again.

 

“Stronger than ever,” Chase couldn’t help to smile. “We’re both busy with school so sometimes that takes precedence but we always make time for us as a couple and to spend with our friends too,” he explained proudly. “We’re solid, mom.”

 

“You really love her, don’t you? And she loves you.” Janet regretted the fact that she couldn’t see their relationship grow, like a good parent would, but she knew her son and he seemed absolutely head over heels in love with Gert. All she wanted for him was to be happy and he truly seemed happy with his relationship. She never knew Gert very well but she seemed like a great young woman and Janet definitely approved of their relationship.

 

“I do, I really do love her, mom. And she loves me back. Gert really _sees me_ , ya know?” Whenever he talked about Gert or their relationship, his eyes glowed and his dimples popped out as he smiled. He looked so incredibly happy.

 

“That’s all I ever wanted for you, honey. Make sure you take care of each other and never take each other for granted, okay?”

 

“I won’t, mom,” Chase promised her and nodded, squeezing her hands a tad tighter.

 

“Now, tell me about the others.”

 

“I’ll do ya one better,” Chase (unfortunately) had to let go of her hands to pull out a large envelope from his coat’s pocket and present it to her. “Took me a while to get permission but I brought you pictures. They’ve been reviewed and approved by security so you can take them with you and you all can keep them.”

 

“Pictures? Oh, my…” Janet couldn’t believe it as she pulled a couple of the pictures out.

 

“Let me give you some context so you can tell the others.” Chase grabbed the envelope and pulled out the stack of pictures to spread them out on the table.

 

*********************************************************

 

Janet was escorted back to the cells unit she shared with the other members of PRIDE, clutching the envelope to her chest, fully aware of how precious the content was, how important it was for all of them.

 

When she entered the H1 cells unit, Janet wasn’t surprised to find the rest of the PRIDE gathered around the table in the center of the room. The H1’s gate was closed behind her (it wouldn’t open again until dinner time) and the other adults turned to look at her. They knew where she came from and even if they wouldn’t admit it out loud (except for Dale and Stacey) they were eager for whatever update she could give them.

 

“How’s Chase, Janet?” Stacey asked her before the others started all talking at the same time, like they always did. It was strange, Janet Stein and she couldn’t be more different but they were truly getting along and slowly becoming friends, which was something she never expected to happen.

 

“Chase’s good, thanks for asking,” Janet told her, shooting her a thankful look, and held up the envelope for everyone to see. “He got us some pictures for all of us and gave me some context to them. We arranged them so we can do this in an orderly fashion, alright? Security approved the pictures so we can keep them.”

 

“Pictures?” Tina seemed to be battling with herself over holding back or just snatching the envelope out of her hands. Fortunately, her self-control won and she didn’t do anything.

 

“How did he manage that?” Catherine asked from her seat next to her husband.

 

“He said it took him a while to convince everyone to give their permission…Chase didn’t say it but it was implied they only agreed to…” Janet trailed off, unsure if she should continue with the sentence. It wasn’t like she was trying to spare their feelings but the peace in their unit was fragile at best.

 

“They only agreed so we’d stop asking to see them?” Dale ventured an educated guess with a resigned sigh.

 

Janet grimaced and nodded at him.

 

Geoffrey cursed under his breath and Catherine placed her hand upon his arm silently.

 

Janet silently pulled out the first two pictures, which were hers (Chase’s pictures) and left them to the side. Then she pulled two for the Yorkes and two for the Wilders, handing them to the respective couples.

 

“Look at our girls, Stace,” Dale looked back and forth between his wife and the pictures of their girls. Both pictures showed Gert and Molly, smiling and so incredibly grown up. In the first picture they were chilling at the beach in their recliners and in the second picture the two sisters were jamming with their guitars. It brought tears to their eyes.

 

“They look so grown, Dale,” Stacey choked out, covering her mouth with her hand, tears rolling free down her cheeks.

 

“I know, Stace, I know,” Dale nodded and wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist, both offering silent comfort and receiving it too, tears rolling down his cheeks as well.

 

Across the table, Catherine and Geoffrey were staring at the two pictures of their boy. In the first Alex stood in the campus of UCLA, grinning at the camera, a satchel hanging from his shoulder, and in the second he stood before a tall building they didn’t recognize. He looked so grown up, so mature…and so happy.

 

“Alex’s going to UCLA?” Geoffrey wondered out loud, surprised because that college was never his son’s main option.

 

“Chase, Alex and Gert go to UCLA,” Janet provided some of the context her son had given her. “Alex’s studying informatics engineering and Gert’s pre-law and social studies,” she added what she had been told.

 

“What about your boy Chase?” Dale asked, curious.

 

“Mechanical engineering,” Janet replied, unable to contain her pride for her son.

 

“Alex’s always wanted MIT,” Catherine thought out loud.

 

“All Chase said was that it was a decision they made together but he didn’t say why,” Janet explained what little she knew.

 

“What about Karolina? Is she going to school? Working?” Leslie finally spoke up, unable to contain herself any longer.

 

“And Nico?” Tina and Robert asked as well, equally eager.

 

Janet silently pulled out the two pictures of Nico and handed them over so the couple could look at them. One showed her lying on a recliner at the beach, dark sunglasses covering her eyes and middle finger extended at the camera, smirk firmly in place. The second one showed her actually smiling at something off frame. Tina and Robert shared a look: it had been so long since they saw Nico smile like that. She smiled widely, her eyes shone with happiness and adoration at whatever she was looking at. It truly had been a long, long time since they saw their Nico that happy.

 

“Did Chase say anything about Nico?” Tina asked, keeping her tone civil and neutral despite the storm of emotions swirling within her chest.

 

“All he said was that Nico is very happy. Very happy doing her own thing. Said she found her path in life,” was all Janet was able to tell them.

 

“That’s it? That’s all he said?” Robert was obviously disappointed and blinked back tears. He would not cry in public.

 

“It seems Nico forbade him from saying more and Chase promised to respect their wishes,” Janet explained ruefully, sincerely feeling sorry for not being able to tell them more. “I’m sorry, Tina, Robert, but that’s all he was able to tell me.”

 

“Of course, I shouldn’t even be surprised,” Tina muttered to herself, defeated and disappointed and annoyed. In that moment she was sure Nico included those pictures just to punish them (and she wasn’t wrong) and send them a clear message to fuck off.

 

“At least she seems happy,” Robert swallowed his disappointment and tried to be positive, his eyes never the picture where Nico was smiling.

 

“And it seems Karolina took a different path as well…” Janet told in Leslie’s direction as she passed her the respective pictures.

 

“What do you mean?” Leslie asked and looked at her first picture. Karolina was leaning back against a metal railing in what seemed to be a pier, if the ocean behind her was any indication, wearing a tank top, a flannel shirt tied around her waist, faded skinny jeans and a snapback. She looked so grown up and different, she looked like a completely different person. “She looks so different…”

 

“Yeah, she looks like she put on 50 pounds of muscles,” Dale joked from across the table, impressed.

 

“Nah, more like 30, 35, I’d say. Still hella impressive though,” Geoffrey nodded in approval, looking over Leslie’s shoulder.

 

Catherine added a comment of her own but Leslie didn’t hear it because she audibly gasped when she saw the second picture. Her little girl… No, the young woman Karolina had become stood tall and proud in a yard, wearing a Los Angeles EMT uniform.

 

“She…” Leslie could barely believe her eyes.

 

“Karolina graduated 3 months ago. She’s an EMT and works for the LAFD,” Janet supplied the information her son had provided. “She was top of her class, Leslie. Everyone’s so extremely proud of her for her dedication. He said she’s amazing at her job.”

 

“That is a noble profession, you should be proud of your girl, Leslie,” Stacey commented, impressed.

 

“It’s truly commendable of her, to dedicate to such profession,” Catherine commented, equally impressed.

 

“I am, always have been. I’m just shocked, she just looks so…different,” Leslie said, her eyes never leaving the pictures.

 

“What did you expect? Now that she doesn’t have to be your perfect little church girl anymore, she looks more confident and stronger than ever,” Tina was blunt and right to the point as always, never afraid of hurting Leslie’s feelings. Hell, a tiny part of her enjoyed hurting her feelings. If you asked Tina, Leslie never deserved her daughter. Karolina was much too good for her.

 

Janet decided to intervene before things took a bad turn. Leslie and Tina were always one step from fighting.

 

“Chase also included a few group pictures for us to share,” the blonde woman rushed to say before Leslie could respond to Tina’s comment and passed around the pictures.

 

The first picture showed the entire group (sans a certain deinonychus) standing together at the beach. Gert and Nico were getting piggy back rides from their respective partners and Molly and Alex stood between the two couples, striking James Bond-style poses… Their kids were no longer kids. They looked so incredibly happy and mature, so grown up. It hurt their hearts but alas, they had no one to blame but themselves. Their choices, their fate.

 

The second group picture showed their kids sitting around a long wooden table, in the middle of a BBQ, it seemed, if the food on the table was any indication. Some of the parents did wonder who took the picture but the empty chair with a leather bomber jacket hanging from the back didn’t give them any clue. The third picture showed the group embracing a uniformed Karolina, most of them openly crying and beaming proudly at the blonde.

 

Tina and Robert did notice the proud, loving look in their daughter’s face as she beamed up at her girlfriend.

 

The last two pictures were couples’ photos. One showed Chase and Gert splashing each other on the shore, laughing and having a great time. The other showed Nico and Karolina leaning against the railing (in the same pier as the other picture), smiling at each other and leaning as if to kiss. They looked absolutely absorbed in each other, completely oblivious to the world around them.

 

Both couples looked absolutely in love.

 

“Our kids look truly happy together,” Stacey commented to Janet, observing the smiles on their children’s faces in the picture, the two women sharing a little happy smile.

 

“Did Chase happen to mention if Alex’s datin’ somebody?” Catherine asked.

 

“He said he wasn’t at liberty to say,” Janet replied ruefully. “Same with Molly. He…wasn’t allowed to share that information, I’m sorry.”

 

“Of course,” Geoffrey sighed.

 

Robert and Tina were oblivious to the conversation, still admiring the picture of their daughter and her girlfriend.

 

“Look at her, Tina, our little girl is in love,” Robert whispered, happiness and sadness battling inside him. “Nico’s found someone who puts _that look_ in her eyes…” he added in awe.

 

“Agreed… To be fair, though, Karolina has put _that look_ in her eyes since they were five,” Tina let out a little amused smile at that.

 

“True,” Robert chuckled, amused. They both remembered them when Nico and Karolina were little, always following each other around and eagerly anticipating their play dates. Nico would pretend she wasn’t, of course, stubborn since the cradle, but she became giddy every time Karolina arrived to their house. Not that the blonde little girl was much better. Tina and himself never put much thought into it (after all they were children at the time) but ever since finding out the two young women were an item, they had talked about it, sharing a good laugh like they hadn’t done in so long as they reminisced old memories.

 

“May I?” Leslie’s polite request cut through their moment as the taller woman stepped closer, extending her hand because she wanted to look at the picture.

 

Robert handed it to her, even though for a second it seemed Tina wouldn’t let go of it, and they observed the emotions play out in her face. Sadness was followed by a flash of anger, finally settling in disappointment. And Tina’s shackles rose instantly, not that it took much when it came to Leslie Dean.

 

“What’s that look for?” Tina shot her a raised eyebrow. “You have a problem with Karolina dating Nico?”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Leslie scoffed instantly. “I may be a monster but I’m not that kind of monster,” she added firmly.

 

“What a surprise, considering everything you did to turn Karolina into the perfect little church girl,” Tina sneered. “Funny how you had not one clue your daughter was a lesbian. Wonder why.”

 

“Tina…” Robert tried to get her attention and stop another fight from breaking out but Tina simply wasn’t listening.

 

“Not very cool to assume when it comes to other people’s sexualities, though,” Dale chimed in, raising a timid hand.

 

“Not assuming.” Tina pointed to the picture Leslie had placed on the table, the one of Karolina at the pier. “She’s got the lesbian pride flag in her top,” she added, a smug look in her eyes.

 

“Oh yeah, she does,” Dale grinned after inspecting the picture. “I stand corrected.”

 

“I could never be disappointed in her for finding someone to love,” Leslie finally spoke, interrupting. “I’m disappointed and angry, at myself. Because I hurt my daughter in so many ways that she hates me. Because I failed her as a mother.”

 

Leslie gave the picture back to Robert and gathered the two individual ones before she stepped away from the group.

 

“For whatever’s worth my opinion, which isn’t much these days I know, I’m happy for them. Nico’s a great kid.”

 

And with that Leslie walked away, back to her cell, and closed the door behind her.

 

 _“Just focus on the fact that our daughter is happy,”_ Robert told his wife, switching to Japanese so only Tina would understand. _“Stop trying to hurt Leslie or pick fights and focus on this,”_ he lifted the picture to emphasize his point.

 

 _“That’s all I care about,”_ Tina responded, switching to their mother tongue as well. _“But you well know I don’t forgive easily, dear. Two damn years she withheld the truth from us. She knew our daughter was murdered and said nothing. She deserves to suffer.”_

 

 _“And she is… Let that be enough, for peace’s sake,”_ Robert suggested.

 

 _“Mmm… we’ll see,”_ and that was all Tina was willing to concede at the moment.

 

*********************************************************

 

“How’s your mom?” Gert asked softly. Truth be told, they didn’t really like talking about their parents, especially outside of therapy group sessions, but the topic was unavoidable on nights after Chase made the trip to San Bernardino while they had pizza in the living room. It was their comfort food.

 

“She’s good. Healthy and working at the library,” Chase replied after swallowing a mouthful of pizza and wiping his mouth with a paper napkin. “She’s been spending time with Dale and Stacey, getting along well and apparently they’re learning how to knit,” he added, not quite holding back a mirthful grin.

 

“Your mom, Stacey and Dale…. Knitting?” Molly asked with a snort.

 

“Well, stranger things have happened,” Gert deadpanned, letting out a snort between bites of her slice of pizza.

 

“At least the future in-laws are getting along,” Molly chuckled into her glass of Pepsi.

 

Both and Gert and Chase instantly choked on their pizza and the rest of them laughed.

 

“Molly!” Gert shot her sister a deathly glare but the younger girl simply winked at her in return.

 

“Anyway…” Chase cleared his throat and decided to ignore Molly’s statement for once. “She basically said everything’s alright, peaceful. At least for now.”

 

“Does that mean Leslie and Tina aren’t fighting anymore?” Karolina asked, unable to contain the disdain from slipping through in her tone.

 

“Well, it seems they try to stay clear off each other to maintain peace since ya know, they share a cells unit and all,” Chase replied, shrugging.

 

“And I guess they didn’t enjoy solitary confinement, too bad they didn’t leave ‘em there,” Nico muttered with an eye-roll.

 

Karolina begun to nod in agreement but then she sighed and shook her head instead, pushing her own bitterness away. It would not be productive in that moment and Nico was vocal enough for the two of them.

 

“So everything worked out? Did you give your mom the pictures?” Alex asked, looking at Chase.

 

“Yeah, I did. It all went well,” Chase answered and nodded. “And before you guys ask, let me reassure you that I didn’t share anything but what you allowed. I was very clear on that.”

 

“Dude, chill, we trust you,” Molly reached out and patted his arm in a reassuring gesture.

 

“If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have agreed to any of this,” Alex added.

 

“Hopefully, they will stop asking now and get we don’t wanna have anything to do with them,” Gert stated out loud what the rest of them were thinking.

 

“Well… I’d say points were made, considering how many times I had to repeat I wasn’t at liberty to say something and outright told my mom you guys didn’t want them to know,” Chase explained.

 

“Good.” Nico shared a look with her girlfriend and Karolina rubbed her knee soothingly, offering a half-hearted smile.

 

They finished eating and cleaned up in silence, only exchanging basic words. They were subdued, that much was obvious, but admittedly they all needed some space after their talk. Their parents would never be an easy topic, no matter how nonchalant they acted about it… It would never be easy.

 

 

*********************************************************

 

 

It was Chase’s turn to take out the trash that night so he steered the two large trash cans to the road right outside the gate of their property and came back, making sure the gate was locked for the night. It was a nice night and he felt slightly tired. The drive to and back from San Bernardino was long and he had woken up early that morning.

 

Out of habit, Chase didn’t use the front entrance of the house; instead he walked around the Manor to the backyard in order to use the back door. But when he reached the top step of the deck, he noticed Nico was sitting in the corner, in Karolina’s usual seat, all alone and staring off into space. The goth didn’t seem to even notice his presence.

 

“Nico?” He called out her name gently, as to not startle her.

 

“Hey,” Nico looked away from the night sky to look at him, tilting her head in his direction.

 

“You okay, Nico?” Chase asked, stepping closer but keeping the table between them. He knew Nico didn’t like being crowded and usually only Karolina was the exception to that rule but he had to check up on her.

 

“Yeah…am fine, I guess,” Nico barely muttered the words but in the silence of the night Chase was still able to hear her.

 

“Do you…wanna be alone? Or should I get Karolina?” Chase asked.

 

“Karrie’s upstairs,” was all Nico replied and Chase frowned.

 

“Did you guys argued or something?” He hadn’t noticed any tension between them earlier but then again, he was tired so maybe he was just oblivious.

 

“Nah,” the corner of Nico’s lips flickered upwards, touched by her friend’s concern. “We both needed some space, apart, ya know? But we’re good, don’t worry.”

 

“Okay… Then I’ll leave you to it,” Chase playfully saluted her with a couple of fingers and headed towards the door. He had no problem leaving her alone, if that was what she needed. There was nothin wrong with needing some space.

 

“Wait,” Nico called out and Chase turned around abruptly, shooting her an inquiring look. “Wanna grab some drinks and sit with me for a bit?” The goth’s eyes clearly told him it was okay if he didn’t want to, but he also knew that Nico would never ask if she didn’t need the company.

 

“Sure. Be right back,” Chase shot her a little smile and headed into the kitchen.

 

The young man grabbed a couple of wine coolers from the small fridge they used to keep the alcohol (separated from the regular fridge) and popped the caps before heading back outside.

 

“Here,” he held out one of the bottles and waited until the goth grabbed it to take a seat in the nearest chair. “Sup, Nico? Why are you out here?” Chase asked, nursing the bottle in his hand.

 

Nico took a long sip from her bottle and sighed.

 

“Just needed some space… This whole thing with… _them_ , just…” Nico’s jaw clenched and unclenched as she forced herself to breathe. “I’m frustrated and bitter, if I’m honest… And oddly satisfied, too.”

 

“Satisfied how?” Chase asked, curious and without judgment.

 

“You really want me to answer that?” Nico asked in return, fully aware of the fact that they had very different positions when it came to their parents.

 

Chase shot her an affirmative look as he drank from the bottle.

 

“Because I know that seein’ all those pics of us hurt them,” Nico stated simply and without regrets. “It makes me feel good to know that they hurt, seein’ we’re happy without them,” she shrugged half-heartedly when she said that. “We’re living our best lives without them and now they know it. Petty, I know, but don’t particularly care either.”

 

“That’s totally understandable, I think,” Chase nodded in understanding. Sure, they didn’t have the same position regarding their parents because they simply had different types of relationships with them, but he wasn’t going to judge her for what she felt.

 

“Dunno if understandable but that’s what I feel right now,” Nico admitted.

 

“Sorry to say… You’re definitely human, Nico,” Chase offered a playful little smile, hoping to lighten up the girl’s spirits a bit.

 

“Bein’ human sucks sometimes,” Nico snorted jokingly around the rim of her bottle.

 

“True, true,” Chase agreed, chuckling. “At least we’ve got each other, all of us. Makes shit suck less.”

 

“True, true,” Nico conceded, echoing his own words and letting out a little smile. “But don’t start the Kumbayas, please,” she joked.

 

“Don’t worry, I won’t, dude,” Chase held up his hands and grinned.

 

They fell silent then but it was comfortable. The two simply enjoyed each other’s company and a chill drink. There was no need for small talk. Sure, they were very different and a lot of times didn’t agree on things and sometimes, their banter could even be confused with hostility, but it wasn’t like that at all. They cared for each other; saw each other as family, even if they didn’t say it out loud most times. Chase’s eyes met Nico’s and the boy lifted his bottle in a silent toast they both understood meant _‘I’m here for ya, buddy’_. Nico saluted back with her bottle and nodded, a little smile tugging at her lips.

 

They didn’t know how long they sat there, drinking silently and observing the night sky, before the noise of the kitchen door opening drew their attention. Old Lace seemed to smile at them before she headed down the steps of the deck to go do her business in the yard and Gert appeared right behind holding the door, shooting them a slightly sheepish look.

 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. Old Lace needed to get out,” she told them.

 

“It’s fine, Gert, we were just having a drink,” Chase smiled at her. It was automatic, he couldn’t help it. Every damn time he laid eyes on her, the world just became a tad brighter.

 

“Aaww, you two were bonding,” Gert teased them and leaned against the doorframe, a mirthful grin appearing on her face.

 

Nico rolled her eyes at her.

 

“Me? Bond with this dumbass? Please, I have standards,” the goth fired without missing a beat.

 

“Outch, you wound me, Nico. And here I thought we were bonding like bro and sis,” Chase teased, hand on his chest in dramatic gesture, all faux-offended.

 

“Ken dolls have feelings? Shocker,” Nico deadpanned, mirth dancing in her eyes.

 

“Outch… Heart. Broken.” Chase clutched the bottle to his chest and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. “You’re a mean jerk,” he told her and childishly stuck his tongue out in her direction.

 

Nico snorted and shook her head (fondly) as she stood up from the chair.

 

“Am goin’ upstairs. Night, you idiots,” she told them.

 

But before she could leave Chase stood up slowly and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her lose enough that she could pull away if she wanted. Nico hugged him back without hesitation though while Gert looked on them, smiling fondly.

 

“Have a good night, jerk,” Chase joked as he pulled away.

 

“You too, dumbass,” Nico shot him a little smirk and punched him in the arm playfully. She crossed the deck and patted Gert’s shoulder before she passed her. “You two…don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she winked at them before she disappeared into the kitchen to head upstairs to check on her girlfriend.

 

Gert snorted after the goth left, sharing a look with her boyfriend.

 

“It’s real cute how you two bond,” she told him softly, approaching him.

 

“We have our ways,” Chase chuckled, shrugging.

 

“We’re all idiots,” Gert laughed, shaking her head fondly and reaching out for her boyfriend’s hands. The young man’s smiles widened and lovingly held her hands.

 

 

*********************************************************

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT READ::: Hope you enjoyed this one-shot, folks!! Part 11 is all written on paper and I'm working on Part 12! I'm looking forwards to see what y'all think of this one-shot. Gotta admit, I had a full plan but then the characters kinda wanted to do their own thing and it went in an unexpected direction! But I actually like it. It's a bit weird but I like it! LOL 
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO! If anyone wants to follow me on twitter (@AlexMcLeod1992). Sometimes I post stuff related to the one-shots, mostly comments (and there's also a lot of gay shit, lol) But if you wanna talk or whatever, feel free to hit me up in twitter.
> 
> Once again, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot. If you liked it, please, leave a kudos and a comment. Thank you all for all the love you give me! :)


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